Aerial vessel.



'PATBNTBD DEG. 3, '1907.-

F. B. ASHLEY. y AERIAL VESSEL. APPLICATION IILED DEO. 28.1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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fave?? tw' MS/Zeg mexpensive construction.

FREELAND B. ASHLEY, OF KANSAS GITY, MISSOURI.

AERIAL VESSEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 3, 1907.

' l:animan mea Detente-26.1906. sera1N0.349.397.

To all 'whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, FREELAND B. ASHLEY, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Kansas City, in the countyI of Jackson and State ofMissouri, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in AerialVessels, of'which the following is a specilication. This inventionrelates to aerial vessels of thatl type provided with propellers forpropelling the vessel and-With rotary wheels for elevating andsustaining it, and my obj ect is to produce an aerial vessel of the typementioned which shall be under perfect control of the occupant of thecar, and which-is of strong, durable, compact and comparatively To thisend the invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features ofconstruction and or anization as hereinafter described and c aimed andin order that it may be fully understood reference is to be had' to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1,is aview partly in' sideelevation and partly in section on the line I'-I of Fior.'

2. Fig. 2, is a section on the line II-II Vof Fig. 1 and also shows aart broken away which occupiesla position below the plane of Fig. 3, isa section on the line plane of said section in elevation. Fig'. 4, is asection on the line IV-IV of Fig. 2'.

, inthe said drawings', 1 indicates aJ boat-4 sh'aped car having theusual pointed bow Vand square stern anc stifiening the lower part of theboat is a truss-frame consisting of the parallel curved bars 4 andchord-bars 5.

6 indicates thebottom ofthe car, the same underlying the sides of theVboat and secured at then' inner edges to the outer sides of truss-bars4, said bottom being curved to correspond with the said truss bars.

7 indicates a horizontal deck extending the full length of the boat orcar and from one side of the same to and u on the bar 5 njiost remotefrom said side andJ secured rigidly to and between bars .5 at the properoint is a flanged bearing box 8,' the dec 7 'eilgcut away as at 9 toaccommodate thelflange of said bearing.

10 indicates a vertical shaft journaled in bearingl 8 and extendingdown'through the slot formed by and between bars 4 and secured on thelower end of the shaft is cap 11 connecting said bow and sternv andbracing and stiffenin the car is a pair of parallel arched bars 3anbracing and l for holding the balls 12 in the ball race or channel ofan inverted cu 13 secured to bars 4. This culp, cap, and t e interposedballs g forms a bal -bearing between the'lower part of the car and saidshaft. v '7 14 indicates a small bevel gear securedon shaft 10 andmeshing with a large bevel gear 15 forming a part of or otherwise maderigid otherwise secured rigidly on the transversely extending shaft ofan electric or other motor 17, said motor being shown as mounted in thecut away portion 18 of one of the sides of the car and of a longitudinalsupporting bar 19 secured to the car in any suitable manner.

2O and 2l respectively indicate the toothed faces of bevel gear 16 -for.driving the vessel forward o r checking its motion as hereinafterexplained.

gear 15 and mounted rigidly on a vertical tubular shaft 23 journaledwith a'ball bearing relation as at 24 on a vertical shaft25 projectingbeyond both ends of shaft 23 and universally connected as at 26 to shaft10.

Secured rigidly on the upper end of the tu- `hub of wheel' 27. y y

' To'hold the wheel carrying shafts in a vertical position or inclinedforwardly or rearwardly from such position, I journal upo'n said bars inf-act form a frame, a collar 3l provided at its frontv side bypreference with a socket 32 depending into the slot formed by andVbetween the bars of said arched frame, said socket having a flaringmouth 33.

across the said arched frame and engaged within said slot and providedwith a worm seat 35 engaged by a longitudinally extending worm rod 36extending through the fla r ing mouth of the socket and provided withinthe latter with a ball head 37, the worm rod the operator mayl turn therod and thus swing the shafts 23 and 25 forward or, rearward oftheposition shown in Fig. 1, the umwithv the double bevel gear 16 keyed orl22 indicates a bevel gear meshing with shaft #23 above the` arched barsor frame 3 as having a handle 38 at its front end whereby bular orouter-shaft 23 is a wheel 27 consistmounted on shaft 25 at the upperside of the 34 is a pivot mounted in and extending versn joint 2cforming' the @for such' 43 journaled in a boxing 44 mounted and boatwith a propeller 46..

movement.

39 indicates a bearing'securedon deck? for the longitudinal shaft 40equipped with a small bevel ear 41 meshingI with gear 15 and univeyconnectedat 42 to theshaft adapted' to slide laterally in thetransverse in the stern 2 of the car or boat, said shaft being eq ppedrearward of the car or 47 indicates an annularly secured on shat43within the car, and 48 a ring journalcd in said groove and connected atopposite sides toa pair of cables 49-exopposite sides of the same sothatvvhen the latter is turned one cable will be wound upon and theotherunwound'trom the drum, this 'action-resul -in swinging4 shaft 43 to theright or left an thus tending to turn the ship or vessel to the left orright respectively, 1t

of the pro being understood' that any suitable means, not shown, such asa pawl and ratchet mech anism, is adapted to be employed to secure thedrum at any desired point of adustment so' that the vessel may bepropelled 1n a comparatively straight line Without constant attention tothe adjustment o said .gr

pro ller.

o asslst propellingthe vessel I provide v the following 'mechamsm: 52indicates an bearing swiveled thereon. in an' suitable.

anchorplate securedV to the deck, and 53 a manner. 54 Vis a.jlongitudinal journaled` in saidswiveled bearing and 55 collars securedto the shaft at 4oppo 40.`

ment.of the shaft' in the projects beyond the front end o the b'ow ofbearing to prevent material endwise movesaid shaft the boator car and atsuch point is journaled in a bearing 56. 't its lfront end the shaft is.dlsposed in the same direction as the blades ller 46 because it isdpbod to equipped with a 4propeller 57 with its blades i rotatein t e'same direction and secured to the rear end of said shaft 54 is a bevel'gear 58 Which normally meshes with teeth 20. 59 is a sleeve journaled onand pivotallyv connected by a link 601:0 a lever 61 mountedon a sector62 secured tothe deck, said lever having a catch mechanism 63 to engageone of a series of three teeth'64'insaid -sectoiz Whenr the catchmechanism is en gadfwith the right -hand tooth the gear -58 1s enga mentwith the gear teeth 20. To

oscillate s t 54 the lever may be thrown to the left Fig. ,3; thisaction the bevel gear 58 fromengagement with'the teeth 20 to .throw the.propeller toinoperative position, thelatter secixred in such positionby the engagementof tlre'vcatch 'with-tht middlrmwh. Y

' dispose shaft site ends' of the is Apropeller .is swung "1. so thatthe plane o n it be desired to @heck the speed of the vessel-the Wheel58 can be thrown into engagementjw'ith gear teeth 21 by throwing thelever'l its full distance-to the left and it.

may be 'locked in this position by engagement of the catch with the lefthand notch 64.. ln the construction Vshown the weight `ot the-motor maybe counterbalanced approximately by that of the occupant or occupantsWho-will ordinarily be stationed on Athe deck 7. The vessel 'is providedwith de'- pending bearings '65 equipped with wheels 66 to normallysustain the vessel, which wheels in ugfiractice will be equipped withsuitable b er springs to cushion t e shock on alighting after they arecommon and form no vention, not being shown. occur the operator in thecar starts the motor so as to rotate wheel 15 in the direction indicatedby the arrow Fig.' 1, this action' causing wheel 27 to rotate iu thedirection indicatedby the arart of this inhen light is to after takingposition row Fig. 2, and the Wheel29- to rotatein'nthe f oppositedirection and furthermore causing ropellers 46 and 56 to rotate in theproper ection to advance the maehine, it being understood ofcourse thatthe lifting wheels 2? and 29 must attain a very high speed be#4,forethey will raise the vessel from the ound. lf it be desiredto raisethe vessel vertically the lever 61- will be operated to` so 54 that theprope 1ers will Spf poseeach other and thus prevent either vance orretrograde movement. As the vess el attains the desired height if .ithas'moved u Wardin a substantially vertical direction, t efrontpropeller through the medium of lever 61 is vcaused to co crate withlever 26 in ropelling the vesselorward and when it through themanlpulation ofthe drum as hereinbefore ex lamedfI lf it is desireto'ascend in a gradually in# esired to turn 'to theleft or right therear in the proper direction clinedplane and thus avoid loss of time duey to the ascent in a direct line, the worin rod 36 can be adjustedto'swing shafts 23 andl25 Y rearward of the verticalposition shown'inFig, 1 and thus cause the plane of Wheels27 and 29 to diverge with.respect to the'longitudinal'axis of the vessel. 1f it is desired todescend at a slight angle said shafts can be .swung forward of theosition shown in Fig. thec Wheels'shall converge with respect to thelongitudinal axis of thevessel. It willfthus be seen that means areprovided for almost instantly causing the vessel to direct its course.upwardv to 'avoid'V obstructions or'downward to 'effect the de. .scentat a articular point'and withoutothe 1 dela. inci' ent to averticaldescent. which- .s wod be accomplished by causing thepro- A. Pll'l's *t0counteract each OthQIiMhQnmm.

of the vessel.

4with the teeth 21, so as to oHer o position to forward movement ofthemac ne "on the. ground after alighting In caseari' exceedingly quickdescentisnecessary at anyl time the motor may be reversed for thepurpose of reversing wheels 27 and 29 and causing them to cooperate withthe gravitat-ve tendency y Fromthe above description it will beapparentthat I have produced an aerial vessel possessing the features ofadvantage enu- .merated as desirable. and I wish it to be understoodthat I do lnot desire to be limited to the exact'details of constructionshown and described as 'obvious-modications will sug.-

-gest themselves to one skilled in theart.

Having thus described the invention what .I claim as newand desire tosecure by Letters .Patent is 1. An aerial vessel, comprising "a car, ashaft suitably journaled therein and having a,

f universal joint, a lifting wheel secured to the up r end of saidshaft, a tubular shaft journa ed .on the first-named shaft above saiduniversal joint land'provided with a lifting 'wheel at its upper end,and a drive wheelA eared to said lshafts With'its axis' coinci--universal joint and provided with a'liftingentalwahsaiduniversitijoint.

- An raerial .vessel; comprising a car, a shaft suitably ournaledtherein and havin a' -universaljoint a lifting wheel secured tot e up erend of said shaft, a-tubular lshaft jour, na ed on the first-named shaftabove said.

Wheel at `its upperend, al drive wheel geared Vto said shafts with itsaxis coincidental with said universal int, and meansto swing said fshafts -forw-ar or rearward of e vertical plane without throwing themout gearwith said drive Wheel.

3. In an `aerial vessel, a car, a vdriven wheel thereinhaving oppositelydis osed gear"l teeth, a shaft pivoted to swing orizontally andprojecting beyond the front end of the car and provided with a proeller, 'a gear `mounted onthe rea end of sai shaft,.means to swing saidshaft, and means to hold it with its gear in vengagement with -one setor the and between and out of engagement 'with said sets of teeth 4. Anaerial vessel, -comprising a car, Va

of arallel arched bars extending lon i tudinal y of the ear, a4 verticalshaft suitab y ars and having .a universal-joint below the same, alifting wheel secured to the uipper .end of said. shaft, Aa drive wheelgeare to said so other.l of the gear teeth of said driven wheel ournaledand disposed between said arched shaft with its axis-'coincidental withsaid universal joint, a collarjournaled on said shaft abovev the archedbars and with a socket portion depending 4intol the space formed by andbetween thearched bars, a screw suitably mounted in the car and exten.into the socket portion and provided Within the` latter with aballhead,

means for adjusting -said screw to move the collar toward the bow orstern of tlie car and- -thereby swing said shaft'for-wx'irdly orrearthesame out of wardly without' throwin rovided' gearwith said drive wheeand means geared A to said drive wheel forpropelling, the car 'atari-angle to the movement lmparted to by thelifting wheel. I

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in the presence of. twoWitnesses. FREELAND B. ASHLEY. Witnesses:

' H. C. Rone'nns,

G. Y. THoaPE.

